Springfield wants out of legislation limiting payments for 5G antennas

Friday

Nov 17, 2017 at 7:28 PMNov 17, 2017 at 7:28 PM

Crystal Thomas Staff Writer @crystalclear224

Telecommunication companies won’t be able to take a free ride on Springfield utility poles just yet.

A Statehouse bill that allows the companies' latest 5G wireless antennas to be attached to poles without the city getting much in compensation was approved during the Illinois General Assembly's veto session earlier this month. But Mayor Jim Langfelder said he plans to lobby lawmakers so cities with municipally owned utilities can be exempted from the legislation.

Senate President John Cullerton used a procedural motion the day Senate Bill 1451 passed to keep it from going to Gov. Bruce Rauner's desk for a possible signature. The hope is for a "trailer bill" that addresses technical issues and cities’ concerns to be approved, according to Cullerton spokesman John Patterson.

Officials from several cities and counties loudly opposed the bill, saying they wanted more local control over where telecommunication companies could install poles on their streets.

Unlike most of the state, Springfield’s utility company -- City Water, Light and Power -- and its poles are taxpayer-owned.

Langfelder said the city had been in the midst of negotiations with AT&T about how much the city would charge for the company to attach antennas to CWLP poles. The latest proposal had the company paying the city $250 per month per pole, starting at 50 poles. One year’s worth of usage would have amounted to $150,000.

The legislation would have companies paying an annual $200 flat fee to the city.

“The bill is another hit to municipalities’ budgets,” Langfelder testified Nov. 7 during a House hearing. “... The bill eliminated the city’s ability to properly recover ongoing costs associated with installing and maintaining public infrastructure.”

Langfelder said the state has already made changes this year to sales and state income tax rules that would divert about $2 million in projected revenue away from the city and back to the state. The city of Springfield is projected to have an $11 million deficit as of this month.

Langfelder showed his own phone bill, which was more than $300, to the committee. His bill alone could pay for one pole, proving the cost wouldn’t be too onerous, he concluded.

“This bill is just an end-around to create greater profits for the wireless companies on the backs of municipalities and taxpayers,” Langfelder told the committee.

AT&T Illinois spokesman Eric Robinson said AT&T has discussed small cell antennas with the city of Springfield, but there is no agreement in place.

"Our customers in Springfield and across Illinois are relying on mobile internet more than ever before by connecting on social media with family and friends, watching TV and movies, and even operating businesses," Robinson said in e-mailed statement. "As demand skyrockets, we want to meet customers’ needs by preparing for the next generation of wireless networks – including 5G - that will give customers mobile internet service that is even faster and stronger."

The increased demand requires the company to move to the small cell antenna technology, according to Robinson. Wireless companies want to move away from having just a few large cells that boost cellular signals over a wide area and instead place smaller antennas in more locations to have consistent coverage.

The bill was an effort to provide a “level playing field” for telecommunications companies trying to adapt to the demand for 5G wireless technology in Illinois, said state Rep. Mike Fortner, R-West Chicago, a sponsor of the bill in the House.

The legislation was the result of negotiations between lawmakers, cities, counties and telecommunication companies, Fortner said.

“Telecom still opposed (the bill),” Fortner said. “People in government still opposed it. Not everyone got what they wanted.”

State Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield, tried to do what Langfelder wanted, drafting an amendment to the bill that would exempt municipally owned utilities. The amendment never surfaced out of committee.

“The (telecommunications) industry didn’t support the amendment being put out there,” Butler said.

Information

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The State Journal-Register ~ Street address: One Copley Plaza (corner of Ninth Street and Capitol Avenue), Springfield, ILMailing address: The State Journal-Register, P.O. Box 219, Springfield, IL 62705-0219 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service